> I think that last statement is actually a key point. Any idea you come> up with that will present the issues and choices of tool design better,> will be equally applicable in AI. User interface is just organizing> information and choices better. If you do it so well that the user isn't> necessary, then you have AI. Seriously.

I partially agree with that. But there's a slight difference in who has the
initiative . In an AI system the "Machine" has the initiative, in the IA
system the human, or what the human becomes, is seen as the center of
initiative.

> Anyway, what I'm saying is that the real work of AI is the work being
done> by more "mundane" programmers: organizing knowledge in better, more> compatible, computer-manipulable ways. So, much of software development> is leading to AI, or the singularity, whichever comes first, but it's all> the same process.

Thats right but i believe it should be more focused against empovering the
end-user. The whole idea of system development is a bummer. It should be
possible for the end-user to develop their own systems.
Of course it's not easy and it can't be done today ot tomorrow, but if we
focus on that as the end-goal, then it should happen sometime.